CHAPTER 2

What to Expect in the
Days Ahead

What should we expect in the days ahead? What does the Bible tell us about
the coming days? Will the world situation get better or will it get worse? Are the coming
days going to be easy days or difficult days? What should we expect in the days and years
before Jesus Christ returns for His believers (John 14:3)?

War or Peace?

Did the Lord Jesus tell us to expect war or peace on this earth
in the coming days (Matthew
24:6)? _____________ Circle the correct answer from Matthew 24:6. Jesus said that wars and rumours
(reports) of wars...

a. Will not come to pass
b. May not come to pass
c. May come to pass
d. Must come to pass

Should the believer be troubled by this prediction (Matthew 24:6)? _____ Are the
nations of the world going to be at peace with each other (Matthew 24:7)? _____ Jesus has
told us what to expect. Should we be surprised or shocked when we hear about such things
in the news? _____ Think of yourself in school. If you came to class thinking that there will
not be any quiz, would you be surprised if the teacher handed out paper and gave you a
quiz? Would you be ready for it? But if the teacher had warned you a week before that
there would be a quiz, would you be surprised when the paper was handed out? Would you be
prepared? If you are not prepared whose fault would it be? The Lord Jesus said that wars must
come to pass. The believer knows what to expect.

Should we expect wars to last forever? In Isaiah 9:6 (at the end of the
verse) the Lord Jesus is called "The Prince of ______________." When the Prince of
Peace comes to this earth will wars continue, or will He put an end to war (Psalm 46:9;
Isaiah 2:4)? ____________________________________

Poverty

Poverty is a serious problem in our world today. The world is filled with
poor people, people who lack food and clothing and money. Have
you ever seen people who are poor? Have you ever seen people begging for food or money?
Have you ever seen pictures of starving children?

In John 12:3 we learn that Mary took a very expensive ointment and poured
it over Jesus feet. Was Judas glad that she did this for the Lord (John 12:4-5)?
______ Judas said that the ointment should have been sold and the money given to the
______________ (John 12:5). Was Judas really concerned about the poor (John 12:6)? ______
Who did he really want the money to be given to (John 12:6)?
___________________________________________ Jesus then said that Mary had done the
right thing (John 12:7-8). According to Jesus words, should we expect to have poor
people around today? ______ Should we be surprised when we see poor people? _____ Jesus
has told us to expect these things.

Disease, Decay and Death

Our world is under a curse and God put this curse on the world because of
mans sin. You can read about this curse in Genesis chapter 3. All of creation is
affected by this curse. In Romans 8:22 we learn that "the whole _____________________ groaneth and travaileth in ____________ together until now."

All of the animals and plants are in bondage to the laws of disease and
decay and death. The animals are killing and being killed. They are eating and being
eaten. Plants are being eaten too, and those that are not eaten soon die and decay.
EVERYTHING IS UNDER THE CURSE OF DEATH (including animals, plants and people). We learn in
Romans 8:19-23 that the creation will not be delivered or set free from this bondage until
Christ returns. When Christ is on earth as King things will be quite different. Read
Isaiah 11:6-9. Are these animals killing and being killed? _____ Is the
description of Isaiah 11:6-9 an accurate description of the animal kingdom
today?
_____ The story is told of a Russian zoo keeper who once said, "We keep a wolf and a lamb together in the same
cage!" The people who heard this said, "How can this be?" He then
explained: "It's really true, although we have to put a new lamb in every day!" But when Christ is King
over all the world, the
lions and wolves and tigers and bears will not even need to be in cages!

There are many people today who think that man will somehow solve the
problem of disease and death. It is true that scientists have made many wonderful
discoveries and have found cures for many diseases, but no one has solved the problem of
death. ALL MEN DIE, including the scientists and the doctors. The Bible says that
"death passed upon _________ men" (Romans 5:12). The curse in Genesis 3:19 says:
"For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." All men will die and go
back to dust!

There are people today who think that the problem of death will someday be
solved. Some are even having their bodies frozen when they die. These frozen bodies are
then stored in a very cold place. These people hope that someday someone will invent a
cure for death so that their bodies will be thawed out and restored to life. Should we expect
this to ever happen? Who is the only Person who can call forth the dead (see John
5:28-29)? _______________________________

We are living in a world of disease and decay and death, and this will not
change until Christ returns. We should expect this to be so! Someday things will be
different and God will give His believers bodies that will never die or never decay
and never have
diseases (see 1 Corinthians 15:52-54)!

Difficult Days

God has told us just what to expect in the days ahead: "This know
also, that in the last days __________________________ times shall come" (2 Timothy
3:1). The word "PERILOUS" means "hard" or "difficult." We
should not expect easy times! The Bible tells us that the days ahead will be hard and
difficult.

Jesus told us to expect the same thing. He said, "In the world ye
shall have _____________________________ (trouble, difficulty, distress, problems)"
(John 16:33). Jesus never said that the road ahead would be an easy road. Read what Jesus
told his own disciples (John 15:18-21; 16:2).

Even though the times are difficult times, do we need to be troubled or
afraid (John 14:27)? _____ Is there peace in the middle of the trouble (John 16:33)?
________ Do we have to fear what men might do to us (Hebrews 13:6)? Do we have to face the
difficulties alone (Matthew 28:20)? _____ Do we have the strength that we need
(Philippians 4:13)? ______

Mans Sinfulness

Lets look at 2 Timothy 3:13: "But ____________ men and seducers
shall wax __________________ and ________________ deceiving and being
deceived." Why isnt the world getting better and better? Why are conditions
getting worse and worse? The evil men and women who live on planet earth
are the problem.
The only way to have a better world is to have better people!

Why are the last days going to be so perilous and difficult (see 2 Timothy
3:1)? Is it because the government is so bad? Is it because our rulers and leaders are so
bad? Is it because Russia or Iraq or China or North Korea or some other country is so bad? Men always try to blame someone
or something else for the difficult days we live in, but the real reason is found in 2
Timothy 3:2-4. Why are the last days so difficult and hard? It is because of
sinful, selfish men and women! Lets look at 2 Timothy 3:2-4:

For Men Shall Be . . .

lovers of their own selves--selfish, self-centered,
seeking to please self

covetous--lovers of money, greedy,
worshiping the dollar bill

boasters--those who love to brag about
themselves and about what they are going to do

proud--a person who considers himself
above others and tries to lift himself above others, even if it means stepping
on others

blasphemers--those who speak against God, and drag His good
Name into the mud, and speak of God in an irreverent way

disobedient to parents--those who do
not obey or honor their parents, those who are rebellious in the home

unthankful--ungrateful, not
appreciating all the blessings received, not thankful for all of Godís
goodness (Rom. 1:21)

unholy--no respect for anything that is
sacred

without natural affection--without that love and affection
that should be shown in the family (the love that a mother has for her child, that a
father has for his son, or that a young person should have for his brother or sister
or parents)

trucebreakers--those who refuse to make peace,
who would
rather be at war with you, who would rather be your enemy than your friend

false accusers--those who say false
things about a person

incontinent--not having self control

fierce--savage, brutal, untamed like a
wild animal

despisers of that which is good--no love for what is good
and right

traitors--one who betrays another (like Judas), pretends to
be your friend but later he lets you down and is not your friend at all

heady--those who do things in a hasty
way without much thinking; they will act first and think later

highminded--puffed up, swollen with pride, conceited

lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God--pleasure
seekers rather than God-seekers

Men shall be sinful and selfish! As you think about this list, think also
about yourself. ARE YOU PART OF THE PROBLEM? Are you guilty of any of these
things (see especially numbers 1,6,7 & 18)? If so, what should you do about it? What
are
you going to do about it? The worlds greatest problem is not something on the
outside, but it is something on the INSIDE (see Mark 7:21-23).

Who Is Standing On The Bible?

Lets learn something else about these difficult days we live in. The
Bible says in 1 Timothy 4:1, "That in the latter times some shall
____________________ from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of
demons." The devil loves to deceive men and draw them away from the truth. This verse
is telling us that there will be some who will depart from Gods truth. They were
once standing on Gods truth but then they walked away:

Read the following statements that a person might make. If the person is believing Gods Word, put the letter Bin the space. If the person is not believing Gods Word, put the letters
NB in
the space:

_____

Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Matthew 16:16).

_____

Jesus Christ was the greatest man that ever lived but He
was not God.

_____

Adam was the first man, but he evolved from ape-like
creatures.

_____

Man was created directly by God and did not evolve from
lower forms of life (Genesis 1:27).

_____

God is a loving God and He would never send anyone to
hell.

_____

Those who refuse to believe in Christ will perish (John
3:16).

_____

There are many ways to get to heaven, and all the
religions in the world are teaching men the same truth about God.

_____

Jesus is the only way to heaven and those who want to
get to God must go through Him (John 14:6).

_____

The Bible is true because God cannot lie (John 17:17;
Titus 1:2).

_____

The Bible has some nice stories in it with some good
lessons for us, but the Bible also contains many mistakes and factual
errors.

_____

To be saved a person must live a good life and keep the
Ten Commandments.

_____

To be saved a person must admit that he is a sinner and
must call out to God and ask God to save him (Luke 18:13; Rom.10:13).

_____

Jesus is coming again (John 14:3).

_____

The early Christians thought that Jesus would come
again. However, they must have been wrong because it has been about 2000 years and He has not
come yet.

Watch Out For The False Teachers!

In 2 Peter 2:1 Peter said, "there shall be
__________ ___________________ among you." Do you think these teachers will teach the
truth? ______ In 1 John 4:1 we are told that "many _________________ prophets are gone out
into the ______________." We learned about false prophets in the last chapter of these notes. Do false prophets give people Gods true message? ______

In Acts 20:29-30 Paul warned the Ephesians that false
teachers would come. What kind of animal does he compare them to (Acts 20:29)?
____________ Just as wolves destroy sheep, so false teachers seek to destroy believers
by getting them to turn away from the Lord and not believe His Word. These
false teachers would come from without (Acts 20:29) and they would also arise from within
(Acts 20:30).

How can we tell if a person is a FALSE TEACHER?
First must
listen very carefully to what the teacher is saying and then we must ask these
questions: "Is this
really what the Bible says?" "Does the Bible really teach this?"
"Did this teacher get these ideas from the Bible or from somewhere else?"

Can the Bible ever be wrong? _____ Can the Bible ever teach
something that is not true? ________Can a teacher ever be wrong? _________ Can a teacher
ever teach something that is not true? ______

Suppose a person were to come to your door and tell you
this: "Jesus Christ is a great angel but He is not God."
Is this what the Bible says (John 1:1; Titus 2:13)? _____ Does this person agree with
what the Bible says? _____ Is this person teaching the truth? _____
See our study entitled, The Deity of Christ.

Remember, the devil may use people to try to deceive you
and trick you, but Gods Word (the Bible) will never deceive you or trick you.
Whenever you are taught something (even by your Pastor or your parents or your Sunday
School teacher), go to the Bible and see if it is really so (see Acts 17:11). Dont
blindly believe everything you are taught. Check it out for yourself and compare it with
Gods Word to see if that is really what God says.

Itching Ears

Timothy was a Pastor. According to 2 Timothy 4:2, what did Paul tell Timothy to preach? (Circle the correct answer.)

a. His own ideas
b. Whatever he felt like preaching
c. The Word (the Bible)
d. Whatever the people wanted him to preach
e. Whatever would please the people and make them happy

People need Gods Word whether they like what it says
or not! Sinners need Gods Word just like sick people need medicine. Some medicine
tastes good and some medicine tastes terrible. But no matter how it tastes, the
sick person needs to
take the medicine so that it will give your body what it needs. Gods Word is what the
sinner needs.

In 2 Timothy 4:3 we learn that the time will come when
people will not want S_______________ D_____________________. Sinners will not want
the medicine found in Gods Word which can make them healthy. These people
have "itching E _________" (2 Timothy 4:3). This means that they only want to hear
nice things preached. They only want to swallow good tasting medicine even if what they
really need is the bad tasting medicine. They do not want teachers who will tell them the
truth. They want teachers who will tell them what they want to hear.

Read the following statements. Put the letter "L" if this
is what sinners would
LIKE to hear.
Put the letter "N"
if this
is what sinners NEED to hear.

_______

All men will go to heaven someday.

_______

Only those who repent and believe in Jesus will be
saved.

_______

All those who refuse to believe in Jesus will go to
hell.

_______

God is a loving God and would never send anyone to
hell.

_______

Sin is not so bad. Sins are just mistakes that people
make.

_______

Sin is so terrible that God had to send
His beloved Son
to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.

Many people today do not really want to know what God says
in the Bible. The next time you see people going to different churches on Sunday, see how
many of them are carrying Bibles in their hands. And how
many of them who do carry a Bible will thoughtfully read it, study it, understand it, use it, and do
what it says?

We Can Expect Mockers

Notice what Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:3: "Knowing
this first, that there shall come in the last days S______________________. The
word "SCOFFERS" means "MOCKERS, those who make fun." These
mockers will make fun of our Lords promise that He will come again. They will say,
"Where is the ___________________ of His ____________________?" (2 Peter 3:4).

In the days of Noah do you think there were
mockers? Do you think people made fun of Noah? Perhaps they said, "Where is this rain
that Noah promised? We dont see any rain! Noah, you are a fool to build an ark where
there is no water!" But when the door of the ark was shut and when it was too late to
enter and when the rain started coming down and getting deeper, how many people do you
think were still laughing? Suddenly it was no longer funny.

The same principle is true today. People may laugh and think that it
is foolish to think that Jesus Christ is really going to return. But when He does return
to judge this world, suddenly people will not be laughing any more. Who will be laughing
then (Psalm 2:4; Psalm 37:12-13; Proverbs 1:24-28)? _______________________________
Remember, God always has the last laugh!

We Can Expect That People Will Be Saved

God is in the saving business! This is why Christ came into
this world (John 3:17). Even today God is building His church (Matthew 16:18) and saving
all those who come to God through Christ (Hebrews 7:25). God is not willing that any
should ____________ (2 Peter 3:9). These are difficult days, but God is at work
in this world
and God has a message of good news for all men: "whosoever believeth in Him
(Christ) should not perish but have _______________________
__________" (John 3:16).

Have you believed in Christ? Have you received
Him as your Saviour? See John 1:12. Have your sins been forgiven (Acts 10:43)?
Are you standing upon His Word? Are you staying upon His Word?